The prisons department has purchased 3,000 portable toilets to phase out the outdated bucket system still in use in several prisons.
In a written parliamentary reply to Wilfred Madius Tangau (PH-Tuaran), the home ministry said this is part of a proactive effort to meet modern hygiene and comfort standards, in line with international norms.
Last month, deputy commissioner Hafidz Othman acknowledged during a Suhakam public inquiry that some Malaysian prisons do not meet 21st-century hygiene standards for rehabilitation.
Hafidz noted that the bucket system, which requires daily manual disposal of waste, does not reflect a modern rehabilitative approach.
Separately, the home ministry said the prisons department has identified 13 dilapidated prisons nationwide for either upgrading or replacement.
Among the approved projects is the construction of a new Sibu prison that will house 1,000 inmates, feature modern facilities and security aligned with the Nelson Mandela Rules.
“This demonstrates the department’s commitment to improving hygiene and safeguarding the welfare and rights of inmates,” the ministry said.
“It reflects the humanitarian values embedded in the prison rehabilitation system, where inmates’ dignity, well-being and comfort are considered while serving their sentences.”
